• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.1320-1327
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• 2013

In this paper, two different electromagnetic energy harvesters using bulk micromachined silicon spiral springs and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) packaging technique have been fabricated, characterized, and compared to generate electrical energy from ultra-low ambient vibrations under 0.3g. The proposed energy harvesters were comprised of a highly miniaturized Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) magnet, silicon spiral spring, multi-turned copper coil, and PDMS housing in order to improve the electrical output powers and reduce their sizes/volumes. When an external vibration moves directly the magnet mounted as a seismic mass at the center of the spiral spring, the mechanical energy of the moving mass is transformed to electrical energy through the 183 turns of solenoid copper coils. The silicon spiral springs were applied to generate high electrical output power by maximizing the deflection of the movable mass at the low level vibrations. The fabricated energy harvesters using these two different spiral springs exhibited the resonant frequencies of 36Hz and 63Hz and the optimal load resistances of $99{\Omega}$ and $55{\Omega}$, respectively. In particular, the energy harvester using the spiral spring with two links exhibited much better linearity characteristics than the one with four links. It generated $29.02{\mu}W$ of output power and 107.3mV of load voltage at the vibration acceleration of 0.3g. It also exhibited power density and normalized power density of $48.37{\mu}W{\cdot}cm-3$ and $537.41{\mu}W{\cdot}cm-3{\cdot}g-2$, respectively. The total volume of the fabricated energy harvesters was $1cm{\times}1cm{\times}0.6cm$ (height).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.313-317
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• 2005

The relation between bulk microdefect (BMD) and mechanical strength of $P/P^-$ epitaxial silicon wafers (Epitaxial wafer) as a function of nitrogen concentrations was studied. After 2 step anneal$(800^{\circ}C/4hrs+1000^{\circ}C/16hrs)$, BMD was not observed in nitrogen undoped epitaxial silicon wafer while BMD existed and increased up to $3.83\times10^5\;ea/cm^2$ by addition of $1.04\times10^{14}\;atoms/cm^3$ nitrogen doping. The slip occurred for nitrogen undoped and low level nitrogen doped epitaxial wafers. However, there was no slip occurrence above $7.37\times10^{13}\;atoms/cm^3$ nitrogen doped epitaxial wafer. Mechanical strength was improved from 40 to 57 MPa as nitrogen concentrations were increased. Therefore, the nitrogen doping in silicon wafer plays an important role to improve BMD density, slip occurrence and mechanical strength of the epitaxial silicon wafers.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1984

To find out the optimum heating profile for the nitridation of compacts of graded silicon grains (max 53$mu extrm{m}$) two batches with the addition of MgO and $Mg(NO_3)_3$$cdot$$6H_2O$ to silicon particles were isostatically pressed into compacts. They were nitrided under some different nitriding schedules. The properties such as bulk densitis microstructures and formed phases were measured and observed. The following results were obtained ; 1) About 10% unreacted silicon remained in specimen which was nitrided at 1, 350$^{\circ}C$ for 240hrs. 2) One of the step-heating processes 1, 150$^{\circ}C$-1, 390$^{\circ}C$ for 65hrs are then $1, 390^{\circ}C$for 50hrs was the low temperature but with that at high temperature. 3) High pressure(10.5kgf/$cm^2$) of nitrogen at 1, 390$^{\circ}C$ accelerated the $\alpha$$ ightarrow$$\beta$ transformation of silicon nitride. 4) Magnesium nitrate was superior to magnesium oxide in the role of nitriding aid and the formation of uniform microstructures.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 2018

The dependency of the photovoltaic performance of p-/n-type silicon solar-cells on the metallic contaminant type (Fe, Cu, and Ni) and concentration was investigated. The minority-carrier recombination lifetime was degraded with increasing metallic contaminant concentration, however, the degradation sensitivity of recombination lifetime was lower at n-type than p-type silicon wafer, which means n-type silicon wafer have an immunity to the effect of metallic contamination. This is because heavy metal ions with positive charge have a much larger capture cross section of electron than hole, so that reaction with electrons occurs much more easily. The power conversion efficiency of n-type solar-cells was degraded by 9.73% when metallic impurities were introduced in the silicon bulk, which is lower degradation compared to p-type solar-cells (15.61% of efficiency degradation). Therefore, n-type silicon solar-cells have a potential to achieve high efficiency of the solar-cell in the future with a merit of immunity against metal contamination.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.156-159
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• 2002

Film Bulk Acoustic wave Resonator (FBAR) using thin piezoelectric films can be fabricated as monolithic integrated devices with compatibility to semiconductor process, leading to small size, low cost and high Q RF circuit elements with wide applications in communications area. This paper presents a MMIC compatible Suspended FBAR using surface micromachining. It is possible to make Si$_3$N$_4$/SiO$_2$/Si$_3$N$_4$membrane by using surface micromachining and its good effect is to remove the substrate silicon loss. FBAR was made on 2$\mu\textrm{m}$ multi-layered membrane using CVD process. According to our result, Fabricated film bulk acoustic wave resonator has two adventages. First, in the respect of device Process, our Process of the resonator using surface micromachining is very simple better than that of resonator using bull micromachining. Second, because of using the multiple layer, thermal expansion coefficient is compensated, so, the stress of thin film is reduced.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.425-427
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• 1996

New fabrication technique was developed to make three dimensional silicon microstructure with five fold vertical steps through entire wafer thickness. Each step is pre-defined on multiply stacked thermal oxide and silicon nitride (O/N) layers by photolithographies. Multi-stepped silicon microstructure is formed by anisotropic etch in aqueous KOH solution with the patterned nitride film as masking layer. Fabricated microstructure consists of four $16{\mu}m$ thick flexural spring beams, $290{\mu}m$ thick proof mass, mesas for overrange stop with $10{\mu}m$ height from the surface of the proof mass, and the other mesas and V grooves used for assembling this structure to the packaging frame of pendulous servo accelerometer. Using the numerical finite element method (FEM) simulator: ABAQUS, mechanical characteristics of the fabricated microstructure by the developed technique was compared with those of the same structure processed by one step silicon bulk etch followed by oxidation and patterning the etched region.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2019

Most high-efficiency n-type silicon solar cells are based on the high quality surface passivation and ohmic contact between the emitter and the metal. Currently, various metalization methods such as screen printing using metal paste and physical vapor deposition are being used in forming electrodes of n-type silicon solar cell. In this paper, we analyzed the degradation factors induced by the front electrode formation process using e-beam evaporation of double passivation structure of p-type emitter and $Al_2O_3/SiN_x$ for high efficiency solar cell using n-type bulk silicon. In order to confirm the cause of the degradation, the passivation characteristics of each electrode region were determined through a quasi-steady-state photo-conductance (QSSPC).

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1995.07c
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• pp.1066-1068
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• 1995

The formation properties and oxidation mechanism of electrochemically oxidized porous silicon(OPS) films have been studied. To examine the humidity-sensitive properties of OPS films, surface-type and bulk-type humidity sensors were fabricated. The oxidized thickness of porous silicon layer(PSL) increases with the charge supplied during electrochemical oxidation and current density. The humidity sensor shows high sensitivity at high relative humidity in low temperature. The sensitivity and linearity can be improved by increasing a porosity of PSL.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.164-167
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• 2006

Calorimeter is one of widely used biosensors. Conventional or existing calorimeters are realized directly on a silicon wafer which has very high thermal conductivity. It results in decreasing temperature difference between junctions and it makes a sensitivity of calorimeter to be decreased. In this study, the microcalorimeter was made by using MEMS(Micro Electro Mechanical Systems)-technology and hot junctions of the microcalorimeter are released from a silicon substrate to reduce loss of generated heat by reactions between biomolecules. Sensitivity of the released microcalorimeter was 18 mV/M which is 1.5 times higher than another calorimeters on silicon substrate by reactions between biotin and streptavidin.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.3 s.180
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• pp.56-60
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• 2006

A high-resolution shadow mask, or called a nanostencil was fabricated for high resolution lithography. This high-resolution shadowmask was fabricated by a combination or MEMS processes and focused ion beam (FIB) milling. 500 nm thick and $2{\times}2mm$ large membranes wore made on a silicon wafer by micro-fabrication processes of LPCVD, photolithography, ICP etching and bulk silicon etching. A subsequent FIB milling enabled local membrane thinning and aperture making into the thinned silicon nitride membrane. Due to the high resolution of the FIB milling process, nanoscale apertures down to 70 nm could be made into the membrane. By local deposition through the apertures of nanostencil, nanoscale patterns down to 70 nm could be achieved.